Christmas festivities.

I'm at that point a few days after Christmas when you are coming down from the holiday high and facing putting away the tree and stockings and its just a little bit sad. You know. It was also weird that Jazz had to go back to work on Wednesday. Like Merry Christmas, have a good day honey.

I enjoy Christmas so much but even more so with my babies. Isabelle was SO FUN this year, is three the most perfect age or what? She is so saucy and says the funniest things ever. Here is the Christmas Eve rundown.

First we made our cookies for Santa with our new cooking apron courtesy of the Parkers:

"Mom, I have a taste?"

"Santa will wuv dees spwinkles."

We made cookies and our family cinnamon rolls, cleaned up the house and headed to moms for our traditional seafood dinner. Dad made homemade chowder and we sat around and worked through our crab. Always a favorite for me.

Crab crackers are for weenies.  Serious people use their bare hands.

Isabelle opening her slippers and jammies.

Madilyn and Isabelle 

Lincoln kindly removing things from the tree.

Okay this is the cutest thing everrr I wish I had a better picture. It's a velcro fabric tool belt with all these little soft tools. Thanks Mark and Loretta! Linc obviously loves the hammer.

Mary and Joseph

Joseph and baby Jesus. Lincoln was fired  as baby Jesus when he attempted to crawl away from the manger.

Reading the grinch.

SO, OKAY-- THEN. We were all sitting around the living room listening to my mom read perform the Grinch and Linc suddenly takes off and WALKS. Like, major walking, six or seven steps to my arms. We were all so shocked there was a collective *gasp* from the room when he wobbled towards me. Dad had my camera and caught a blurry picture of his REAL FIRST STEPS! Oh it was so fun to all be there, I guess Lincoln just needed an audience...he is in the right family. (Since then we have had lots more walking!)

We caroled and read stories and did the nativity (twice) and returned to our own house to set things up for Santa Clause. Cookies, carrots and oats for the reindeer, and a big glass of milk. Isabelle helped me write a letter to him about Olivia. I think I  mentioned on the blog that she wanted Santa to give Olivia new hair and new stuffing for Christmas. She left Olivia by the cookies and went to bed.

Olivia 1 vs Olivia 2

And to all a good night.

snow snow SNOW.

I can't NOT sing the white Christmas song, sorry.

While we were making cookies last Saturday, it was cold enough to give us just the tiniest bit of snow and we were THRILLED. I can't remember the last time it snowed here.... couple times in my childhood and maybe once or twice while I was away at college but none since we moved here.

Look ma, it's snowing. sort of.

California oranges on our giant tree.

See?

Later I had Madilyn and Kira over for some play time and it had REALLY snowed, like stuff was actually on the ground so we suited up and went out. 

Snow comes up, Charlie Brown.. Snow comes up!

Their faces.

Madilyn threw snowballs over the fence. Mostly they just ate it.

Linc was pretty bummed he was on the wrong side of the glass.

AND THEN. Mom had this great idea to drive up to the snow on a Saturday with the whole crew. Oh man, you should have seen us. Like we were packed for a weekend at the cabin. We piled in two suburbans and headed up about an hour east to the mountains, and they had tons of snow. Possibly more than we (I) was prepared for?

Isabelle's outfit. Oh my hell. So JaNae was smart and found some bibs/boots/coats for her girls and I'm all like nah it won't be that cold. SIKE it was like 30 degrees, four feet of snow, and I have leggings under jeans for Iz.  So we put boot covers on her pants. An ear muff around her waist. A neck warmer over her torso. Bandana. Rainboots. Fleece gloves. White trash day at the snow. MOM OF THE YEAR. I felt so bad, I totally failed on the planning. And planning is like my thing, you know.

Madilyn, Isabelle

Grandma Cindy, Izzie the Thug, Madilyn the ninja at the top

Beardy McScruffpants 

I took Linc in the ergo for transport, since he isn't walking and I couldn't just set him in the snow and let him chill and let me tell you what he LOVED IT. Can you tell! So joyful! So we get the kids suited up, hike all the way in to the hill, pack the snow down for a couple of runs and then Izzie says, "I want the picnic. I'm cold. I'm done." Literally, maybe 12 minutes and the kids had enough. Next time we will feed them before we suit them up and maybe also next time have the proper snow gear, duh mom.

Baby K. Her gloves are killing me.

We all had a picnic between the cars and warmed up with hot chocolate and snowman cookies. Why do sandwiches taste so much better on snow days? Like skiing and stuff? Sandwiches are like magic food. We had a great time despite our brief outdoor time... kids were cute and enjoyed the snow.

Maybe the best part of the whole trip was when we returned to the car and we were getting all settled... and Dad pulls out his snow shoes to test them out. Someone said Dad is like a modern day ken doll... just has different outfits and equipment for any given situation.

Cross Country Ken:

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We have had a magical day (week/month too!). 

Hope you are enjoying you holiday with your loved ones.

xo

Jazz, Micci, Isabelle and Lincoln

seeing santa

While we were in Utah, we took the kids to visit Santa at Riverwoods. No line, free, cute Santa- awesome.

As I said on fb, Isabelle asked for new hair for Olivia. Lincoln asked to get the hell off of Santa's lap.

Classic. Linc, expect to see this in your high school grad slideshow.

One day Isabelle told me to "white this down mom." 

Santa:

New hair for Olivia

Slippers, two of them

Slippers for Grandma

Big Bow for Mom

Big Bow for Izzie

Presents (a lot)

New sparkly shoes like the church baby

A big present for Charlotte.

A tree for "winky". A little one.

Isabelle's lovey Olivia has been loved and loved and loved to death. She has been to Hawaii. To Pennsylvania.  To Utah and Sacramento and Disneyland. She is deflated and odd shaped, her fluff has disappeared. Her neck seems broken and all of her hair has fallen out. Isabelle plays and pulls with her hair when she is sleepy and even does it in her sleep. Isabelle is hoping that for Christmas, Santa will re-stuff and shape her and give her new hair so she looks new again. How cute is that.

I feel pretty confident that Santa will pull through for her. She's been a pretty good girl.

Lincoln Michael 11 Months

Nooooo Linc turns one in a month! Agh! I'm not ready!

Linc at 11 months is BUSY. He is obsessed with the stairs, wants to crawl everywhere and will climb up on anything. He has even started to push stuff over to other stuff so he can can use it as stairs. He had his first steps this month! December 13th, he just let go of the couch and took two little steps. He hates being changed... he does this crazy alligator death roll and it has made getting him dressed  my least favorite time of day. Seriously it makes me sweat, he is so strong and stubborn. I can't keep shoes and socks on him to save my life. Lady in Target was all "It's cold for that baby to have bare feet!" NO KIDDING, TELL ME MORE. Linc just wants to be included- to be doing whatever Isabelle is doing or be wherever she is.

Linc is done with baby food, he wants to do it himself. Would eat a whole container of baby cheddar puffs if I let him. If I give him something he doesn't like, he throws it on the ground. When he is finished eating his food, he throws it on the ground. If I give him food in the wrong order, he throws it on the ground. He is starting to wave his hands "all done" but it mostly just looks like excited arm flaps. He loves balls, light up crap, and anything that Isabelle currently is holding. Giggles at "z" words and choo choo sounds and LOVES when Isabelle makes her pirate voice. Next time you see her, ask her to do pirate voice. Occasionally we can get him to say "dada" but I'm not claiming anything official (why don't my kids say mama first. unfair.)

He is on a pretty good schedule now, napping once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Maybe the best thing this month is that he is putting himself to sleep. YAY. Just makes some noise and talks to himself for a few minutes then he is out, usually on his tummy in a super cute downward dog position. Normally he sleeps so well all through the night but he had a flu shot and now he sucks at sleeping. Isn't that always the case? Last night was better, so here's hoping it was just the shot.

Lincoln is my sweetie pie. My little jolly fat faced baby. His hair is fluffy and turning kind of dark! Yessss. I love in the morning when I go to get him from his crib and hes so excited his hands flap around all crazy. He loves his mama.

Love this face. I'm such a good mother.

insta-update vol. 12

 

mc'ds/this little piggy

 

sleepybye/snow!

 

ginger house/ quick 5k

 

am at the temple/post trip laundry barf

 

wonder who had my phone/ toys are overrated

 '

sink bath/overalls

 

post nap cuddle/ chocolate fishys

 

advent cookies/fancy day